Box Score Reading, Pa. – Six different River Hawks posted multiple-goal performances Sunday afternoon as the Susquehanna University men's lacrosse team celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a dominant win. Susquehanna (4-5) snapped its three-game skid by doubling up Alvernia University (3-3), 20-10, in non-conference action.
 
Susquehanna 20, Alvernia 10
 
How It Happened

• Susquehanna came out of the gates red-hot, tallying a 3-0 lead in the first four minutes of the game. The Golden Wolves slowed down SU for the next seven minutes before the River Hawks revved up and rattled off four in a row in less than four minutes for a 7-0 advantage at 1:05.
• Sophomore attackman Colton Dick (Owings, Md./Northern) had three goals and three assists in the first 15 minutes of the game.
• The Susquehanna defense did its part by forcing Alvernia into 10 turnovers and limiting them to just two shots in the first period.
• Both teams combined for 11 goals in the second quarter with SU edging the hosts, 6-5, for a 13-5 halftime margin. The River Hawks built an 11-0 gap at 8:14 before Alvernia notched its first goal of the contest at 6:50. AU closed out the half with three scores in the final 36 seconds.
• The third frame was another big one for Susquehanna as the team put up five more goals, including a pair from junior attackman Preston Ouellette (Trumbull, Conn./St. Joseph), and stretched their advantage to 18-7 at the end of three.
• The Golden Wolves claimed a 3-2 edge in the final period as Sam St. Croix netted three consecutive goals in an eight-minute span.

 
Inside the Box Score

• Susquehanna outshot the Golden Wolves, 54-38, and gained a 52-45 advantage in ground balls.
• The River Hawks controlled the face-offs by winning 19-of-33 behind a career effort from sophomore midfielder Ryan Bucher (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove). Bucher won a career-high 16 face-offs in 24 attempts while matching a season-best with a team-high six ground balls.
• Turnovers were equal at 22 apiece.
• Alvernia struggled in its transition offense as the Golden Wolves were 14-of-24 in clears.

 
Top Performers

• Dick finished the afternoon with season-bests of four goals and seven points while having a hand in three other goals.
• Attackmen Michael Hatala (Glen Cove, N.Y./Glen Cove) and Jack McLaughlin (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) each chipped in two goals and two assists while senior captain Jake Smolokoff (Oceanport, N.J./Red Bank Regional) contributed a hat trick. The four-point performance by Hatala and McLaughlin is a season-best for both while Smolokoff picked up his first hat trick of 2019.
• Senior midfielder Lou Pillari (Bayville, N.Y./Chaminade) paced the SU defensive effort with a career-best four ground balls and two caused turnovers.
• Senior captain Dylan Abplanalp (Grasonville, Md./Kent Island) started the game and played 19:46 with no goals allowed before being relieved by sophomore Tyler Gross (Magnolia, Del./Caesar Rodney). Gross finished with one save in 10:14. Junior Josh Weaver (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) played the entire second half and collected a career-best 11 saves with five goals against.
• St. Croix paced the Golden Wolves with four goals as AU saw its two-game win streak halted. Jacob O'Donnell made 19 saves and scooped up five ground balls in loss.

 
Up Next for the River Hawks

• Mar. 23 vs. Scranton (3-4) – Sassafras Field – Landmark Conference opener – 1:00 p.m.

 
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